To Be Or Not To Be

Abstract

Authenticity is a word often heard within an existential context, but seldom is it given suitable explanation. This paper examines the concept of authenticity, beginning with its origins in Heidegger’s ‘eigentlich’ and the misunderstandings enveloped in translation. The most important facets of authentic being are also discussed. These include freedom, meaning, anxiety, guilt, and death, and some attention is given to how these relate to one another. Not to dismiss the difficulties that exist around understanding authenticity, consideration is also given to the misinterpretations of the concept, the question of morality, and the paradox of being authentic while equally ‘Being-in-the-world’.